Behind Enemy Lines
by nemoed
Summary: "You're some sort of mind healer who calls his victims 'patients' and keeps scrolls, I mean, files on them," Hook laughed to himself. "What kind of ridiculous place is this, where people pay you to talk to them? Truth be told, most of the time I'd pay people to shut up instead." Eventually Archie & Hook friendship. Hints of Cpt.Swan. Archie's time on the Jolly Roger (and beyond).
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Behind Enemy Lines **

**Rating:** T for language and some mental images.

**Summary: **"You're some sort of mind healer who calls his victims 'patients' and keeps scrolls, I mean, files on them," Hook laughed to himself. "What kind of ridiculous place is this, where people pay you to talk to them? Truth be told, most of the time I'd pay people to shut up instead." Character-piece. Eventually Archie&Hook friendship. Archie's time on the Jolly Roger (and beyond).

**Disclaimer:** Obviously I own nothing. Most definitely not the characters, settings, basic story lines (Once Upon A Time etc) who belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just borrowing two of my favorites for a little fun and promise they shall be returned unharmed.

Next to that a note on the picture - I've gotten the image bases somewhere on the internet. If you feel that I should remove the story-banner, please let me know and I'll do so immediately.

**Notes:** This ficlet is the result of a scenario that just wouldn't let me rest until I got it out of my system. It represents my take on both Archie and Hook and I would be very interested in hearing your opinion about it. Above all, however, I hope you enjoy this :)

P.S. I'll try to update every Wednesday.

* * *

**ooOOoo**

_Cora: Didn't you notice the little gift I left you in the hold of your ship?  
Hook: A gift? What is it?  
Cora: Not what. Who.  
Hook: Who's that?  
Cora: Someone privy to Storybrooke's deepest secrets, including Rumpelstiltskin's.  
Someone who can help us determine his weaknesses here. Can't you, Dr. Hopper?_

_Cora: Now you'll have all the knowledge you'll need. It may take some work, but this cricket will chirp._  
_Hook: Aye. That he will._

- Once Upon A Time 2.10 – The Cricket Game.

**~ Part 01 ~**

ooOOoo**  
**

Archie groaned as the light hit his eyes. After so much time spent in darkness, it felt as if he were being stabbed with daggers of sheer brightness.

He blinked, desperately willing his eyes to adjust a bit more quickly, but to no avail. Finally, just as he was able to discern the pirate's dark shape against the brightness, something scratchy hit Archie square in the face.

"Get a grip, mate," he heard the pirate grumble impatiently. "It's just a bloody blanket."

And indeed, a closer look with now-functioning eyes revealed a worn-out, colorless old thing that once upon a time might have been a blanket. Now, it was scratchy and had a distinct odor of rotting fish. Archie raised his eyebrows and gave his captor a look that spoke of deep skepticism.

"Thank you," Archie said, his voice unusually raspy from having experienced the dubious joys of being gagged and then dehydrated. "It's quite...considerate of you."

The pirate laughed humorlessly. "I'm known around these parts as 'Mr. Consideration'," he remarked dryly as he reached down and placed a bottle of water and a plate of food next to Archie. "You'll repay me with information."

Archie nodded absentmindedly. He had no intention of giving the pirate what he wanted, but there was no point in bringing that up now. Especially considering this might as well be the only opportunity for food and drink that might present itself. Conscious of the pirate's gaze on him, Archie reached for the bottle – the darned thing was almost out of reach – and drank greedily, savoring the soothing sensation of cool water against his parched throat.

By the time he was done, he'd almost emptied the whole bottle and felt like a human being again. "Thank you," Archie said again, sincerely this time. "I didn't expect such-"

Something hit him again and it took a swift and undignified maneuver to prevent it from landing in the frugal dinner the pirate had brought.

"You'll repay me soon enough," the pirate replied coldly, then gestured at the thing he'd thrown at Archie, an empty wooden bucket.

"Use this for your excrement."

Archie blinked, then gulped as realization dawned. "You mean..?"

The pirate rolled his eyes, his impatience showing yet again. "I mean that if you mess up my ship, it'll be the last mess you'll make in your life."

And just like that the pirate retreated and the door was slammed once more, leaving Archie surrounded by darkness.

ooOOoo

Archie couldn't tell how much time had passed, as he had been bound in such a way that he could barely glance at his wristwatch. His body, however, told a story of having been incarcerated for decades. It was cold down here, in the belly of the pirate's ship, and Archie had come to appreciate the blanket more than he would have expected. It might reek of fish, but it was surprisingly warm. He had eaten the food, which had been quite an adventurous thing to do in pitch darkness, and – even more adventurous – used the bucket.

Overall, Archie mused, his captivity could be worse. However, he was realistic enough to realize that the fact that his captors didn't care about revealing their identities to him couldn't possibly bode well. The psychologist had recognized Cora easily enough and each passing moment made it clearer that Regina's description of her mother had still been too kind. For once Archie cursed his knowledge of psychology as it made it only too obvious that Cora was a true sociopath. Appealing to her inner goodness seemed pointless, even if the opportunity to do so presented itself.

Archie shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, once again straining his ears to detect anything that sounded even remotely like an attempted rescue. But, as before, the only sounds were the waves, lapping gently against the ship's hull and the occasional gull crying in the distance.

Archie sighed deeply, recalling Cora's words: some poor soul had been killed in his stead and everyone believed him to be dead. There wasn't going to be a rescue. He was all alone. Completely and utterly alone at the mercy of a mad witch and a pirate with severe temper issues. It was maddening and quite frankly, it scared the hell out of Archie. And yet. Knowing that he was truly on his own kindled a fire in him that Archie himself hadn't expected to find. After all, it was a set thing that he was going to die once he had outlived his usefulness. So what was there to lose? Was he truly going to give in without a fight?

Archie sat up a little straighter even though there was no one there to see it. In fact, the darkness was so all-encompassing that even he himself couldn't see it.

"I will not be broken," Archie muttered into the darkness. Then he started doing what he did best – his job.

ooOOoo

Once again time had lost its meaning and Archie wouldn't have been surprised if the night had passed over his musings. It seemed as if he were in luck as long as Cora remained out of the picture – a likely scenario as he'd overheard her saying that he was a gift for the pirate. Of course it hadn't been much of a task to identify the pirate himself. Just how many captains with a hook for their hands could there possibly be? It was more than likely, Archie mused, that he was being held captive by the infamous Captain Hook. It was Hook, who had to be focused on. Who had to be psycho-analyzed.

Archie laughed hollowly, slightly surprised at how hopeless he sounded. He couldn't deny that there was a certain a intellectual appeal to analyzing fairy-land's most notorious pirate but he sure would have preferred a scenario that that wasn't likely to end with his demise if he failed. Summoning his inner strength, Archie leaned back once again and waited for Hook.

As it turned out, approaching footsteps signaled that Archie didn't have to wait for long. Expecting the sudden light, Archie averted his gaze and closed his eyes as soon as he heard the latch being opened.

"I see you kept my ship clean," the captain's voice stated and Archie slowly turned around to face his patient.

They looked at each other for a moment, each assessing the other's state of mind. Finally, surprisingly, it was the pirate who broke eye contact, sporting a cocky smirk but troubled eyes.

Archie cleared his throat, willing himself to do something. "Captain Hook, I presume."

"Aye."

The pirate seemed pleased to be recognized, Archie noted, and he seemed even more pleased to be addressed as 'Captain'. Interesting.

"What gave me away?" Hook asked conversationally. "Was it the ship oooor...could it possibly have been the hook?"

The man clearly wielded sarcasm like a weapon. Archie filed away the information for later use, then got back to work. It was time to create a personal connection. "My name is-"

"Jiminy Cricket," Hook interrupted him smugly. "You go by Archibald Hopper in this place." He paused and raised a dark eyebrow. "Hopper? Really? Dignity clearly isn't much of an issue for you." Hook shook his head in slight amusement, then went on. "You are a psy...psychatrist." He had trouble with the word, Archie realized, recalling that technically there wasn't such a thing back where they came from. Evidently the pirate had done his homework and was keen to show off.

"You're some sort of mind healer who calls his victims 'patients' and keeps scrolls, I mean, files on them," Hook laughed to himself. "What kind of ridiculous place is this, where people pay you to talk to them? Truth be told, most of the time I'd rather pay people to shut up instead."

Which was rich, Archie thought, coming from a man who seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice quite a lot. The hint of a smile tugged on the corners of his lips before Archie quickly rearranged his features into a neutral expression. However, it was already too late. Despite the chatter Hook had caught the smile and leapt down right in front of Archie, all smiles and jokes forgotten. He was now exactly the kind of man Archie could imagine captaining a pirate vessel. The sort of man who didn't allow even a hint of mutiny and command immediate obedience. _This_ was the Captain Hook Archie had heard of back home. He gasped involuntarily as Hook stepped closer, a scary single-minded anger blazing in the captain's eyes.

"Rumplestiltskin's weaknesses," Hook snarled, bringing his hook uncomfortably close to Archie's eyes. "I want to know all of them. _Now_."

"I...I can't," Archie whispered, his throat suddenly dry once again. Hook narrowed his eyes at him, moving the tip of his hook yet a little closer to Archie's eyeball.

"You're really not overly attached to your eyes, are you?" Hook asked in a deceivingly calm voice that somehow sounded much scarier than the threats and posturing from before. Archie's heart beat so rapidly, that the psychologist felt as if it were going to burst right out of his chest.

There was a triumphant gleam in Hook's eyes. "Start talking, cricket."

Until now Archie had never known that acute fear could actually make a person feel nauseous. And yet, despite the fear the little flame that had urged him to fight the night before refused to be silenced. Trembling, conquering his fear, Archie raised his gaze and looked Hook square in the face.

"I'm a doctor," he whispered. "I will not betray my patients' trust."

Time seemed to stop and stretch into infinity. Archie waited for the feeling of cold metal sinking into his eye – but he waited in vain. Instead, the most curious thing happened. In fact, if he hadn't known better, Archie would have sworn it to be impossible.

For the most fleeting of moments a look of grudging respect flashed across the pirate's face.

"At least you're not a coward," Hook muttered, listening to some noise coming from above. He made a face not unlike he'd just stepped into something nasty and backed off Archie, fluently replacing the cold-hearted pirate who had but a moment ago been about to rip out Archie's eye with the charming scoundrel Hook liked to present to the world at large.

Archie released a breath he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding in. Then he, too, listened. There was the sound of footsteps coming from the deck and once again Hook looked distinctly disgusted.

"I apologize," the pirate said and patted Archie's cheek as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "I've got to cut our conversation short but I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I left the esteemed Lady Cora wander about my ship alone." He visibly shuddered at the thought. "So I trust you'll be a good little cricket and prepare some useful information for me." A completely and utterly threatening smile flashed across Hook's face. "Because I'll be back for you before you know it."

And again Archie was left alone in the darkness.

ooOOoo


	2. Chapter 2 part 1

**Title: Behind Enemy Lines **

**Disclaimer****: **I still own nothing. Most definitely not the characters, settings, basic story lines (Once Upon A Time etc) who belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just borrowing two of my favorites for a little fun and promise they shall be returned unharmed.

* * *

**ooOOoo**

_„...he__ was sort of able to use his charm and I guess sexuality to get whatever he wants. If it doesn't work out then he can just kill them." _

- Colin O'Donoghue about 'his' character, Hook.

**~ Part 02.1 ~  
**

It was an unfortunate fact, Archie thought, that in real life a psychologist couldn't just base a complete diagnosis on one conversation. There were none of those instances where a cunning man would take a look at a stranger and proclaim without a doubt that, yes, that man over there has issues with his father and by the way, he's neurotic, too. Any human being was just way too complex to simplify things like that. One needed time and, at best, a relaxing environment and a cooperating patient.

Of course, attempting to take a look at the darkness around him and recalling the casual way Hook had threatened to take his eyes out, it was painfully obvious that the odds were massively staked against him, Archie realized. He sighed deeply and shifted, finding a more comfortable position on the stack of rolled-up ropes he'd come to use as some sort of make-shift chair.

Obviously traditional therapy – both medication and speech therapy weren't an option. Which left Archie with only one chance: improvise. Use what he could to build up working hypothesis and manipulate the pirate as well as he could.

With renewed resolve, Archie set to work. He closed his eyes and visualized what little he had seen and heard of Hook and his home, the Jolly Roger. Step one, Archie thought, always consisted of gathering data.

Obviously "Hook" wasn't the man's real name but he had not only come to accept the moniker, but rather embrace it. In fact, now that he thought about it, aspects of Hook reminded Archie rather of his own late parents, the con-artists. Clearly Hook seemed to operate on a higher level, possibly conning the world so convincingly that he even managed to persuade himself that he was this Captain Hook persona and not whoever else he used to be. Those grand gestures and glances that looked just a bit too much like they had been practiced in front of a mirror for maximum effect. Truth be told, the dear Captain was quite prone to playing the drama-queen.

Archie allowed himself a small smile, despite realizing that he was speculating wildly. And yet. This might just be the angle he needed to get through to the pirate. After all, what kind of person built itself a new persona to hide behind? What kind of person felt the need to re-invent itself? Surely not a happy one.

Deep in thought, Archie reached for the bottle of water the pirate had brought him (just a little bit to the left, next to the empty plate with yesterday's dinner) and started thinking about a strategy for his psychological attack.

**ooOOoo**

"Wake up. Rise and shine. Open those...whatever color your eyes have and take a look around. Listen to the birds singing, well, gulls screeching. Brand new day and all that."

Archie felt a couple of light slaps on his cheek and abruptly jerked awake, only to find himself face to face with a smug pirate.

"Morning, sweetcheeks," Hook grinned and took a step back, evidently pleased with himself. "I trust you had a good night's rest? Nothing like the sea to help you sleep, right? It's got to be something about the air, I reckon."

Archie blinked and raised his hand to rub his tired eyes – only to have the movement abruptly (and painfully) interrupted by his bonds. He was still a prisoner. Obviously.

"Awake now?" Hook asked, showing the air of impatience and barely constrained energy Archie had already experienced the night before. The psychologist nodded wearily.

"Good," Hook beamed at him. "We've got a lot on our plates today, Archie. I can call you Archie, right?"

"Of course," Archie nodded, sensing his first chance. "And I'll call you..?"

Hook frowned. "I thought we'd already established that you know my name. By if you insist on a formal introduction -," he indicated a small bow and impressed Archie by making this movement feel positively sarcastic.

"Killian Jones. At your service." An insolent grin followed these words. "More or less."

Archie opened his mouth to reply, but apparently Jones was driven by some sort of manic energy today. He held up a hand and shushed his prisoner.

"We talk later. First I think you should be given some opportunity to refresh yourself."

Archie blinked in surprise. Was this truly the man who had threatened him with torture and mutilation mere hours ago? Archie cleared his throat and tried to make sense of the situation. "Erm...refresh?" He asked incredulously and immediately retreated as the pirate leaned in closer and took a sniff.

"Aye, refresh." Hook nodded. "No offense, mate, but you're starting to smell a bit...ripe."

"And you offer shower and a spa?" Archie asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope. I offer a toothbrush and soap, though." Hook gestured behind him. "And some fresh air."

"Why would you do that?" Archie asked, his insides clenching in awful anticipation. This couldn't be good.

Hook shrugged, managing to look completely innocent. "Out of the goodness of my heart?"

Archie's other eyebrow rose and the pirate actually had the nerve to laugh even as was caught in a flat-out lie.

"Look, neither of us wanted this. Cora did her thing and now I'm stuck with you until she gets to do whatever it is that she's going to do and I get to do what I'm going to do. It's just that in the meantime I can't have you traipsing around this Storybrooke place and mess up my plans."

A sharp frown appeared on Archie's brows. So Hook didn't plan to kill him when this was all over and done with? Just keep him from spoiling the pirate's plans? That didn't sound anything like the Captain Hook Archie had heard about. He raised his gaze to the pirate's.

"And what are you going to do, Mr. Jones?" He asked in a calm, you-can-tell-me-all-your-secrets-because-I'm-a-psychologist-voice.

Hook shook his head, amusement still evident on his features. "Aren't you listening to me at all, Cricket? I'm going to kill Rumplestiltskin." He shrugged nonchalantly and, in a gesture that for once seemed unconscious, started rubbing his hook with his good hand. "I haven't yet decided whether I'll literally skin him or just cut him up in neat, tiny, little pieces or perhaps I'll destroy his life, so he'll kill himself in the end."

Now that was the Captain Hook Archie had expected. There was all of this coldness and cruelty beneath that layer of charm and humor. And yet, an analytical part of Archie couldn't help but wonder – just what sort of experiences turned any human being into a man like that? However, there wasn't much time to ponder this as Hook produced a toothbrush out of a pocket and held it up triumphantly.

"Why should I help you?" Archie heard himself ask, quite surprised at his bravery (or madness?) in the face of that pirate.

Hook shrugged again. "Because I'm asking really nicely." Implying that the next time he asked wouldn't be nearly as nicely. "Toothbrush now?"

Still confused, Archie decided to make the best of the situation and nodded. "Sure. Toothbrush now."

**ooOOoo**

From that point on Hook surprised Archie with his efficiency. It took a mere matter of moments for the one-handed pirate to exchange the bucket holding Archie's excrement against a clean one and provide his prisoner with the promised soap, water and toothbrush. Hook managed to stay out of reach of Archie's legs, making the mere thought of fighting back physically a moot point.

Hook then provided Archie with fifteen minutes of privacy and retreated back upstairs where Archie could hear him rummage around the whole time.

It had already occurred to Archie that the Jolly Roger seemed to be operated by Hook on his own and though he had no knowledge of ships at all, the psychologist couldn't help but wonder how a one-armed man could possibly sail a ship of this size without a crew. However, the moment the toothbrush touched his teeth, all those thoughts left Archie's mind. No matter how dire the situation, he thought, it was always surprising to find how much easier it felt to face the unknown and dangerous as soon as some basic human needs and comforts had been fulfilled. It wasn't a coincidence that the first thing pirates were known to do back home in fairy-tale land, was to strip prisoners of the self-worth and dignity. Denying them basic human rights was just one way they did it from what Archie had been told. He had heard stories of prisoners being left in damp brigs, up to their ankles in bilge water and with no choice to but to soil themselves. As rumors went, this was a sure way for pirates to break wills.

So why wasn't Jones doing that? With a ship of the respectable size of the Jolly Roger, there had to be a brig. There just had to be chains and...Archie shuddered at the mere thought and resolved to be grateful for the relatively gentle imprisonment he currently experienced. But the nagging voice in the back of his mind remained: Why was Hook being so kind? So un-pirate-like? What was in it for the man?

**ooOOoo**

"Oy! Are you decent?"

Archie winced at the sheer volume of the man's voice, a voice, Archie mused, that could easily carry across a whole deck and command a pirate crew's attention. Good lungs. Pretty well-sized ego, too, most likely.

"What is it now?" Hook's voice insisted from above. "Did you fall asleep again?"

"No!" Archie replied quickly, suddenly eager to catch as much as a glimpse of open sky again. "I'm decent. And ready."

There was no reply, save for the latch springing open and light flooding Archie's eyes once again. By the time his eyes had adapted to the light (relatively small, coming from nothing but an old-fashioned lantern) Hook was already busy doing some – presumably – nautical knots to secure Archie's ands and feet. Whatever it was, it sure looked complicated but had the satisfying effect of allowing Archie to shuffle a couple of steps ahead without falling flat on his face. A nice change.

"You're all done," Hook said, surveying his work once again with a critical eye before giving Archie an apologetic look. "You know, I'd prefer treating you like a guest but for a couple of days we'll have to keep this up. It would be quite...unfortunate if you happened to break free before my business is done."

Archie nodded, for what else could he possibly do in this situation but agree? Keeping cooperative and docile for the moment might lead to an opportunity to escape and the psychologist was not about to let his pride spoil this chance. Besides, a small, analytical part of Archie's mind admitted that he was really curious to find out what made Hook tick.

"I believe you mentioned breakfast?" Archie asked politely just as his stomach grumbled hungrily. Archie's face, pale and therefore prone to blush, flushed bright pink in embarrassment which earned him the first genuine laugh he'd ever heard from the pirate.

"Even better, Cricket," Hook said, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "This way you're sure to appreciate my crappy cooking." He put his hand on Archie's shoulder and led him to the latch.

"Now look here," Hook explained as he climbed out. "I'll get you out of here and then we'll take a little walk to the galley. You might feel inspired to do something stupid and, believe me, mate, I only have your best interests at heart when I say this: don't do it." Hook gave Archie a warning look. "I like you and your peculiar cricket-y ways, but if you try to attack me I'll be forced to break a couple of your limbs." Hook paused thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "...never mind that it would be a bloody miracle if you happen to land a blow considering the way I've bound your hands and feet."

Archie nodded again. "Threatening me with physical violence. Good way to make me feel like a guest," he said in a dead-pan voice which, curiously, once again got an amused smile in reply from Hook.

"There's no point in lying to you, Archie," the pirate said and reached down to help his prisoner up. "You're smart enough to see right through me and realistic enough to know that I wasn't joking about breaking limbs." Hook smiled reassuringly as if he'd just done nothing worse but offer his guest some tea.

"Now I believe there's a healthy amount of fresh-pressed orange juice waiting for us."

„Freshly-pressed..?" Archie blinked, hardly able to connect the man's sudden jumps from threats of violence to being treated like an honored guest. "I'll take the juice. No need for broken anythings."

"Good," Hook nodded in approval. "I'd hate to see you get scurvy. That does disgusting things to your gums. Trust me, I've seen it." He paused for effect. "And smelled it. One whiff of that can render a grown man unconscious within a second. Deadlier than a blade."

Perhaps it was the absurdity of the situation or sheer desperation. Either way, almost against his will, the corners of Archie's lips curled up into a tiny, amused smile.

"I'm so relieved that you're so interested in the state of my gums, Captain."

Hook turned around from the door he'd been opening and flashed his most charming smile. "You can repay me by having a nice, friendly conversation with me."

Archie's insides went cold at that calculated gesture and something clicked into place in his mind. Didn't the old saying go that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? Last night the pirate's 'vinegar-approach' had failed to produce the desired results, so obviously he was pouring on the honey now. A smart, cunning and utterly ruthless and self-serving move, Archie thought with a hint of admiration as he watched Hook pull some of the oldest moves to make his victim feel at ease. The modulation of his voice to adapt to Archie's tone. The mirroring of his body language...This all brought back too many memories of his childhood, Archie thought with a sad little smile. His parents would have loved the pirate. He, however, finally felt on more familiar ground.

"Ready for breakfast?" Hook asked with a wide grin and a grand sweeping gesture toward the door.

"I'm starved, Captain," Archie replied. "As for the conversation...may I learn a bit more about the Jolly Roger? She's something of a legend, after all."

Hook paused for a moment, clearly surprised by the question. For the briefest of moments Archie could glimpse warring emotions flash across the pirate's face as the refusal to give out information as opposed to gaining it warred with his pride. Finally, with a look of almost paternal love on his face, Hook replied.

"She's over three centuries old, but she's faster and stronger than ever. No ship back home can match her for speed. The moment she has the wind in her sails, she's uncatchable."

_'And thus, Mr. Jones, the game is on,' _Archie thought with a flutter of excitement in his stomach.

**ooOOoo**

* * *

**Next: **Archie and Hook have a verbal sparring match wherein the pirate reveals a little bit more than he planned to share and Archie makes a mistake.


	3. Chapter 2 part 2

**Title: Behind Enemy Lines **

**Disclaimer****: **I still own nothing. Most definitely not the characters, settings, basic story lines (Once Upon A Time etc) who belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just borrowing two of my favorites for a little fun and promise they shall be returned unharmed.

Next to that a note on the picture - I've gotten the image bases somewhere on the internet. If you feel that I should remove the story-banner, please let me know and I'll do so immediately.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so very much for the lovely reviews, the favorites and for adding this story to your watch-list. It's such a wonderful feeling to know that people are actually reading this and I'm deeply, pathetically grateful for your feedback. Please feel hugged and know that each of you made my day...and week :)

P.S. This below is what happens when the characters suddenly start taking over the story ;)

* * *

**ooOOoo**

"_Because you couldn't let go of him_ [Daniel]. _If you can't let go of the past, Regina, it's doomed to haunt you._" - Archie in The Doctor.

**~ Part 02.2 ~**

**ooOOoo  
**

"You know," the pirate remarked as he tied Archie to a chair, "For a man who is being paid for talking to people, you sure don't to a lot of it. Talking, I mean."

"Actually, I'm being paid to listen," Archie replied, twisting around to get a look at his captor, who raised an eyebrow.

"If I want someone to listen to my woes, I go to a bar," he declared in a voice to allowed no argument. "I get to talk to my heart's content _and_ I get a drink!" Hook gave the ropes a final tug and, satisfied with his handiwork, got up from his crouching position and leaned on the massive wooden table that served as the heart of the Jolly Roger's galley. "Do you serve people drinks when you listen to them? Do you offer the cathartic joy of a good, old-fashioned pub-brawl during those therapy-sessions of yours?"

"Are you seriously asking me whether I dull my patients' senses with alcohol and then get into a fist-fight with them?" Archie gave the pirate a look of complete and utter disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"I'm not," Hook admitted with a crooked grin. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact people willingly come to you and spill their weaknesses. Why would anyone do that?" There was a note of genuine puzzlement behind the question, Archie noted.

"It's not about offering one's weaknesses on a silver platter, Captain." Archie tried to raise his hand to push back his glasses but found the movement abruptly halted by the ropes. He blinked in irritation, then decided not to allow himself to dwell on the fact that despite being seated at a table that was all but breaking down underneath the load of food and drink, he was still a pirate's prisoner. And, despite the smile on the other man's face, Hook was...Archie paused in mid-thought as something, some inner voice, refused to label the pirate as a villain. It was too simple a word for his captor. And yet, it was clear as day that the man wasn't a hero either. Hook seemed to occupy some complicated, murky place in-between good and evil.

"Well?" Hook asked, an eyebrow still arched inquiringly. "What is it about, then? What sort of magic makes people bare their souls to you?" The smile vanished ever so slowly, only to be replaced by a calculating expression.

"There's no magic involved," Archie sighed and suppressed the urge to run a hand through his hair. "It's about unloading baggage. About facing your fears and coming to terms with your past." He shrugged nonchalantly as if he'd missed the second the pirate's mimic betrayed him, showing a pain that definitely hadn't been dealt with. Archie made a mental note and plunged on. "I'm trying to help people go through that. Like a guide."

Hook held Archie's gaze, wearing an unreadable expression. "Why do you care?" The pirate asked in a dry voice. "You can't tell me that the payment is that good."

"It isn't," Archie agreed with a small laugh. "But being part of helping someone heal or come to accept him- or herself, that's an incomparable feeling."

"Won't feed you when you're hungry, though," Hook replied in a dead-pan voice and lazily pushed a basket filled with dark, grainy bread into Archie's direction. "Speaking of which...dig in, Cricket."

It was only then that the scent of the food really registered in Archie's mind and he found himself salivating in anticipation. For despite being quite simple, the food did smell nicely. Hook, noticing Archie's reaction, betrayed his satisfaction with a small smile.

"I'm always glad to when guests appreciate my efforts." Hook sat down next to Archie and pulled the food into his prisoner's reach. "Help yourself."

They ate in silence for a while before the pirate started fidgeting again. Clearly silence and Hook weren't overly compatible.

"What sort of things do people tell you?" He asked, thoughtfully impaling an innocent grapefruit on his hook.

Archie raised his gaze to meet Hook's. "Personal things."

"What sort of personal things?"

"Very personal things they don't want me to share with the public."

Hook smirked and leaned forward. "But what if the public is really, _really_ curious?"

"Then _the public_," Archie managed a very stern look here, "needs to be reminded that I swore an oath not to betray my patients' confidentiality."

Hook didn't look overly impressed. "Give me a hint. Just so I can imagine how you do your work."

Archie paused and put down his fork as far as the ropes allowed. "For instance I help people overcome their phobias or deal with losses." He paused for effect and gave Hook a pointed look. "I also attempt to treat personality disorders."

The pirate pretended to overhear the implication about his mental health and kept prodding. "Such as?"

Archie sighed. Jones sure was persistent. Perhaps it was time to start taking chances and give voice to the guesses he had accumulated in the short time he'd come to know the other man.

"For instance if there were a man who can't let go of the past. That would keep him from moving forward and quite possibly influence his perception of the present. It could force him to develop some sort of tunnel-vision and keep him from living."

Across the table Hook had gone still, his eyes growing hard and cold. Archie felt his throat go dry but forced himself to go on.

"That's just a theoretical example, of course."

"Of course." Hook made a quiet sound in the back of his throat that might have been an incredulous huff, and kept playing with the grapefruit. "So give me a real example, Archie. There's no need to betray anything as long as you don't say any names."

Both men knew who the pirate wanted to talk about. Their gazes locked and for a moment Archie felt the crazy urge to just give in and tell Hook about his theories about Mr. Gold. After all, Gold wasn't any less the villain than Hook was, and it might make the pirate stop pressuring him. A heartbeat passed. A small, triumphant smile tugged on the corners of Hook's mouth. Archie cleared his throat nervously.

"There's this boy." He heard himself say. "He is really quite the nice kid. Very bright and with a bit of a nose for trouble." A smile unconsciously came to Archie's face at the thought.

Hook remained quiet, listening intently. "So?" He finally asked, impatience getting the better of him again.

"So this boy had some trouble. He doubted himself, because – as far as he knew - his parents gave him away as a baby. He felt he had been abandoned and for some reason thought it was his fault. He-"

A squelching sound gave Archie halt. The half-peeled grapefruit lay squished out in Hook's good hand, fruit juice staining the man's fingers.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Hook asked, his expression so very neutral that it had to be fake. "Do you actually presume to confront me with some half-baked guesses and expect me to..?"

_'Whoa,'_ Archie thought, his eyebrows rising in sudden realization. He had certainly struck a massive nerve here.

"I wasn't implying anything about you," Archie said in a quiet voice.

"You better not," Hook snarled, still oblivious of the squished fruit in his hand. "You know _nothing _about me."

Archie visibly recoiled at the venom in the other man's voice, then recollected himself. "I was not talking about you. I am referring to a real patient. A boy who...never mind."

"What?" Hook asked briskly. "What did the brat do?"

Archie raised his chin defiantly. "He identified his fears and then set out to confront them. He found his real mother." And found Storybrooke's savior, he thought, his heart warming at the thought of Henry.

"Good for him," Hook snapped, finally acknowledging his soiled hand and reaching for a napkin. "I take it you're going for the happy ending now, right? Can't have a fairy tale without a sickeningly sweet happily ever after."

The pirate wiped his hand roughly, suddenly uncharacteristically clumsy. In fact, it was for the first time that it was cruelly evident that the man was actually missing a limb. That he was forced to come up with a multitude of little tricks to compensate for the fact that he only had one hand, something that Hook usually managed to hide very skillfully. The man was a master of pretending that things were perfectly fine and he was absolutely happy about being the person he was.

It was only now, after accidentally striking a chord, that Archie came to realize the extent of the show Hook was putting up. The man was a mess.

The pirate glared at Archie and the psychologist quickly reasserted his diagnosis. Hook was indeed a mess. But a highly dangerous and unpredictable one. Still, Archie forced himself to reply, having learned during their first confrontation that the only way to get through this unharmed, was by not backing down. _'Don't be a coward!'_ He told himself and forced himself to meet the pirate's angry eyes.

"Happy endings hardly ever last if you don't fight for them," he said, watching Hook's reactions very carefully. "The boy keeps fighting to the present day and has accomplished the most amazing things." Archie paused, momentarily lost in fond recollection of Henry and the boy's struggle to create and keep his family. It was truly extraordinary how the child had provided hope and inspiration when all had nearly been lost. It was also very reassuring, Archie thought, that Hook wasn't likely to ever – ever - come across Henry. That was why he had chosen to use the boy as an example in the first place, after all.

"What things?" The pirate asked, carefully keeping his voice controlled, pretending that he really wasn't interested. And yet it was only too obvious that Mr-Scary-Pirate connected to the story of Emma's son on a very personal level. Would wonders ever cease, Archie thought and decided that no Charming family member was ever going to learn of this particular detail.

"Hello? Cricket? Are you still with me or are you hibernating?" Hook asked in a clipped, impatient tone. "Playing dead won't help you. Unless you want me to make it look more convincing..."

Archie shook himself out of his thoughts and faced Hook again. "The boy fought to get his mother back – and he succeeded."

"The mother who abandoned him?" Hook snorted, disdain evident on his face. "What sort of mother would ever leave her son to-" All of a sudden he stopped short, as if he had been slapped by an invisible hand. Archie could practically watch the blood rush into Hook's cheeks which flushed bright crimson.

"It turned out that she had some very good reasons to act the way she did," Archie said quietly, watching Hook's reaction with rapt fascination. If only he knew what was going on in that man's head!

The blood seemed to flee Hook's face as quickly as it had come, leaving him deadly pale all of a sudden. Still, Archie kept talking, deciding to keep the upper hand as long as possible. As much as his heart went out to Hook, for something was evidently hurting the man very badly, Archie knew he had to push on and manipulate the pirate as long as he was weak and receptive for suggestion. This wasn't just a chink in the man's metaphoric armor, it was a wide, massive gap.

"It wasn't the boy's fault and she's back with him and-"

"We're done here." The pirate didn't even attempt to hide the tremble in his voice, instead closing the distance between himself and Archie with a big step, bringing them almost nose to nose.

"One more word from you, Cricket," Hook whispered, "and I swear, it'll be your final one."

Archie wanted to reply, he truly did, knowing that this was the moment to act. However, the unmasked pain in Hook's eyes was too much for the psychologist's infamous (and inconvenient!) compassion and he merely settled for a mute nod. There was a look of sheer gratitude on the pirate's face which came and went within the blink of an eye. Yet Archie caught sight of it and, to make matters worse, Hook was fully aware of that.

Humiliated, Hook staggered back and grabbed the collars of Archie's shirt, roughly pulling the man up – chair and all. There was a tension-filled moment when Archie was convinced that his life was going to end on the floor of Hook's ship. Ridiculously, all he could think of was the fact there was no one who knew Pongo as well as he did and who would know that the dalmatian liked a little bit of soy milk mixed into his food? Or that he really enjoyed watching horses on television?

Archie felt a sharp pain on his neck where the pirate's hook bit into his skin. A tiny drop of blood formed, then ran down his neck. Archie felt a curious mixture between dread and annoyance. If he was going to die, what on Earth was Hook waiting for?

"You might want to get on with it, Killian." Archie snapped, surprising himself with the anger in his voice.

The grip around his neck tightened. "You might want to shut. _Up._ Archie." The hook was removed from his neck and all feeling seemed to flow back into the psychologist. All of a sudden he felt as if his heart had never beaten quite that rapidly nor had the pearls of cold sweat on his forehead ever felt so heavy and real. There was barely a moment to process what was happening when, with a rough move of his hook, the pirate severed the ropes that bound Archie's feet.

"Move. Don't do anything stupid." Hook spoke in hard, clipped tones, torn between anger and embarrassment as he hauled Archie up and half-carried, half-dragged him out of the room, barely even giving the psychologist a chance to take a step himself. Archie tensed up and struggled against Hook's hold but the man hadn't been joking. He was quite capable of killing Archie with his bare hands...or rather hand and hook. Within the blink of an eye Archie's struggles ceased as his back suddenly collided with the wall of the hallway Hook had been dragging him through.

"Keep this up, Cricket," the pirate snarled, invading Archie's personal space. "And you'll discover the joys being dumped into the ocean. Little insider tip here, mate: it's bloody cold this time of the year."

Archie opened his mouth to say something – anything, really, but Hook held up his hand. "Watery grave, my friend. You shut up now or I'll shut you up permanently." Then, making up his mind, Hook decided not to take the chance, anyway and from the depth of his pockets, produced a rag which he used to gag Archie. Thus silenced, the trip to the cargo hold was short and tense.

By the time Archie was back in his prison and Hook closed the latch above him, the psychologist welcomed the darkness. It would be several hours before he'd see Hook again.

This time, however, there would be no more Mr-Nice-Pirate.

**ooOOoo**

* * *

**Next: **Ladies and gentlemen, we will arrive shortly at the events of the Outsider! That means one last confrontation, Belle and – an explanation for Archie keeping Hook's involvement secret from Emma and Henry?


End file.
